Improvement in locks for pianos



PATENT OFFICE.

E. F. FRENCH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN LOCKS FOR PIANOS, &c.

Specification forming part ofLetters Patent No. 87,834, dated March 16,1869.

To all whom fit may conce-rn:

Be it known that I, E. F. FRENCH, of the city, county, and State of NewYork, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Locks forSewing-Machine Cases, 85o., and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable thoseskilled in the art to make and use the same, reference vbeing had to theaccompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in whieh-Figure l is a detail view of my improved lock, the capplate beingremoved, showing the position ofthe operatin g parts when locked. Fig. 2is the same view as Fig. l, but showing` the position of the operating'parts when unlocked. Fig. 3 is aplan view ofthe flange of thelock-plate, showing the slots of unequal length for the passage of thebolt and hooked arm.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

My invention has for its object to furnish an improved lock, designedespecially for locking piano and sewing-machine cases, but which shallbe equally applicable for other uses, and which shall at the same timebe simple in construction and effective in operation; andv it consistsin the curved and pivoted hook-arm, in combination with the sliding boltof the lock, as hereinafter more fully described.

A is the face-plate of the lock, with which the other parts of the lockare connected, and by means of which the lock is secured in place. B isthe sliding bolt of the lock, which moves out and in as it is operatedby the key C. The inner end of the bolt B passes through a slot in theplate or strap D, to which the cap-plate is attached, vand is held inplace, both when locked and unlocked, by the action of the spring E, bywhich the said bolt is forced toward the end of the said slot, so thatthe plate D may enter one or the other-of the notches formed in the saidbolt, and hold it securely in place until released by the action of thekey C, forcing the said bolt back against the said spring.

One end of the spring E is secured to the bolt B, and its other or freeend passes through the same slot in the plate D that the bolt B passesthrough, and presses against the said plate at the end of the said slot,as shown in Figs. l and 2.

F is an arm or bolt, the inner end of which is pivoted to the body ofthe bolt B, and which passes out through a hole in the edge flange ofthe plate A at the side of the hole through which the bolt B passes.

The pivoted bolt F is curved in such a Way, as shown in the drawings,that when the bolt B is forced out by the action of the key C the boltor arm F may move outward and forward, so as to pass through a hole inthe strap or keeper Gr and hook upon the inner side of said strap G, asshown in Fig. 1, being supported, at every point of its movement, by theflange ofthe plate A, through a hole in which it passes.

As the bolt B is drawn inward by the action of the key C the curved armor bolt F is drawn in with it, as shown in Fig. 2.

By this construction and arrangement of the curved and pivoted hook armor bolt F and sliding bolt B, a cheap, simple, and effectivelock isproduced,which maybe secured with equal facility both when the parts tobe secured close upon each other in the manner of a piano orsewing-machine case, and where they close upon each other in the mannerof a door.

I am aware that piano-locks have been constructed with a dog or catchapplied to the sliding bolt in the form of and operated by one arm ofthe lever coming in contact with the under side ofthe flange of thelockcase as the bolt is thrown out 5 but this construction I do notclaim.

What I do claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of the curved and pivoted hook bolt or arm F with thesliding bolt B and the slots of unequal length in the dange of the plateA, as herein described, for the purpose specified.

rIhe above specification of my invention signed by me this 18th day ofSeptember, 1868.

E. F. FRENCH.

WVitnesses:

FRANK BLooKLEY, JAMES T. GRAHAM.

a bell-crank lever, l

